Podcast: Rock dinosaurs again? You better you bet

The Who might have been the first rock band I ever truly loved. And it didn't even hit me until 1982.

By chance, I came across the band's farewell concert at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens, which was broadcast on HBO, the only cable channel we could afford at the time (or at this time, thanks to this wretched recession). I knew exactly two Who songs at that point in my life: Baba O'Rileyand Won't Get Fooled Again. Maybe Pinball Wizard. And yet, I sat captivated in front of the screen, unable to move or even blink as they tore through classics I'd never heard before: My Generation, The Quiet One, See Me Feel Me. And a couple new tunes that sounded vaguely familiar: Eminence Front and It's Hard.

I'd go on the watch my tape of the show a few dozen times before I realized it. I found my band! I wanted to hear more. Alas, they were calling it quits. Devastation! But songs live forever, and the Who would go on to influence my likes and dislikes about music for decades (and comeback tours) to come.

At least until I accidentally taped over that farewell concert with the Scott Baio movie Zapped.

In the year 2012, I have made amends for this crime. First, I bought a copy of Zapped on DVD. Second, Stuck in the '80s sat down to record an epic podcast to honor The Who and other rock dinosaurs of the '80s. Long live rock. And Scott Baio.

About this blog

Relive the '80s music, movies and culture with Tampa Bay Times correspondent Steve Spears. A teen during the greatest decade ever, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to big hair.